Ski bindings of the above-mentioned type have been known for a long time in many various forms. Such ski bindings serve the safety of the skier by the ski boot being held between the front jaw and the heel holder up to a predetermined limit, and upon an exceeding of this limit, namely upon the occurrence of an overload, which would mean already a danger of injury to the foot of the skier, the ski boot is released by one of the two ski binding parts. The front jaw functions generally to facilitate a lateral release of the ski boot and the heel holder facilitates a release in the vertical direction. Also various ski bindings are known, in which to overcome so-called twisting falls, which are particularly dangerous to the foot of the skier, predetermined directions are additionally effective. Such a heel holder is described for example in Austrian Pat. No. 305,843 (corresponds to U.S. Pat. No. 3,876,219).
For the perfect functioning of all of these known so-called safety ski bindings, which are also called release ski bindings, the presence of a perfect ski boot (without wear) and the correct positioning of the ski boot in the ski binding are a prerequisite. Even if during the construction of ski bindings the weather conditions on the slopes are considered, it is necessary for the perfect functioning of each type of ski binding that the connection between the ski boot and the ski binding takes place satisfactorily. Only in this manner namely it will be possible for the ski binding to meet its safety function and also the task, to connect the skier to the ski and to take care of both a safe skiing and also, if necessary, a correct release.
However, the ski boot becomes dirty due to use in the snow, be it through intentional walking in the snow or due to a fall, due to contact with the snow or with the iced-up slope. Undesired accumulations of snow, ice or the like will take place on the sole, tip and/or heel of the ski boot, which a careless skier often does not remove sufficiently, so that such accumulations prevent the correct positioning of the ski boot in the ski binding. By inserting an unclean ski boot into the ski binding, the entire function of the ski binding is disturbed. Accumulations in the area of the ball of the foot or on the upper side of the tip of the boot increase the friction forces between the stepping plate (sliding plate) and the sole hold-down means; accumulations below the heel of the boot result in an incorrect closing of the binding and thus in a change in the release values of the release spring in the heel holder; accumulations at the tip of the boot or at the heel in longitudinal direction of the ski change the clamping force between the two ski binding parts. All these and similar sources of errors finally lead to an uncontrolled release, which can occur sooner or later than desired. A further disadvantage of these sources of error lies in the inability to be able to consider them in advance during construction of ski bindings. Such errors can also be created by an incorrect installation.
Here the invention begins and has the purpose of indicating these sources of error and to inform the skier in a noticeable manner of the incorrect insertion of the ski boot.
The set purpose is attained by the ski binding having associated therewith an electric circuit having a current source, for example a battery and at least one element for emitting a signal which can be noticed by human senses, for example a light emitting lamp a sound emitting alarm or the like, in which circuit are provided, in a logical series and/or parallel connection, closing and/or breaking contacts which, upon occurrence of nonpermissible forces between the ski boot and at least one ski binding part, react and effect an emitting of the signal.
In this manner any nonregular condition of the ski boot in relationship to the ski binding can be indicated, so that the installer and/or the skier is or are being warned and the necessary changes, corrections or the like can be performed. The inventive controlling mechanism also offers the possibility for repeating any number of checks. The signal is emitted until the regular condition between the ski boot and the concerned ski binding part is achieved.
A preferred embodiment of the invention consists of each contact reacting only when a ski boot is incorrectly inserted for the area which is controlled by the contact, wherein at least one of the contacts is constructed as a so-called main contact, without the operation of which the other contacts which are associated with it cannot be operated effectively.
Due to the fact that a contact is associated with those points of the individual ski binding parts which can come into contact with the ski boot and, for this reason, do not at all permit an incorrect insertion of the ski boot because of the occurrence of a noticeable signal due to an incorrectly inserted ski boot, the set purpose is attained satisfactorily. This signal can be designed by the man skilled in the art in a conventional manner so that it does not cause an annoyance to other skiers. In other words, the signal is emitted right away during an incorrect insertion of the ski boot into the ski binding and thus prior to the skier starting the actual skiing.
A particularly preferable embodiment of the invention consists of the element which generates the signal being associated with a conventional contact breaker. The use of a contact breaker, which is well known for example in the case of turn signal blinkers for cars of all kinds, also for nondrivers from the street traffic, increases the assurance that incorrect insertion of the ski boot will be recognized because such signals more strongly influence the senses of the human than continuously acting signals. It does not matter, as already stated, whether the signals are a light or sound signal. It remains within the scope of the invention, if simultaneously a light and a sound signal are generated and it also lies within the scope of the invention if one of these signals is interrupted and the other one is continuous.